I consult on content strategy for technology companies and produce web content for entrepreneurs and business owners. Currently I am traveling around the USA on an 8-month roadtrip (in a bright blue RV) exploring 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, and 3D Design. In the past, I have put pen to paper for the Wall Street Journal, Make, Sports Afield, the Pittsburgh Business Times and many others. You can follow my work via Twitter, Google+, or my site: RefineDigital.com

Global Trends 2030 With America At The Center

The National Intelligence Council commissioned a report for upcoming global trends out to the year 2030. This detailed work has dozens of in-depth blog posts, by experts in their fields. It is a US-centric report because the goal of it is to figure out what happens to the US as changes occur around the world.

It highlights many technological advances and trends, such as 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing that includes “bioprinting” arteries and organs. Smart Cities offer a healthier and more prosperous place to live. Sensors, web cams, smartphones all hook into the smart city system. Think smart parking meters that ping your phone when you drive near an open space.

The report was publicly released in December, and it covers a lot of ground in 160 pages. It predicts a rising global middle class, urban density increases, 50 percent growth in demand for food, water and energy, among many other results. Many of them will seem familiar, but the many authors lay out compelling arguments. Here are just a handful of the post titles:

Overview: What Fate for Liberal Order in a Post-Western World?

The World in 2030: Are we on the path to convergence or divergence?

The Rise of the Rest; Decline of the West?

The Rise of the Rest and the Return of Spheres of Influence

To Sustain a U.S.-Led Liberal Order, Incorporate the Global Swing States

From the Great Divergence in Global Affairs to the Great Convergence: Can America Adapt? A View from Australia

Down But Not Out: Reports of the West’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

China’s Challenge to the Liberal Order, India’s Attraction to It, and the Possibilities for Western Revitalization in Light of the Global Embrace of Democratic Norms

“India Wants to Modify the Present World Order But Never to Overthrow It”

The Future of American Power = The Future of Liberal Order?

The 160+ page report is not easy to find as a download, but I did find it. This GT2030 link should start a PDF download immediately. The alternative is an even longer list of blog posts, like above, linked at end of post.

The report explains that over the next two decades, the relative power of major international actors will shift markedly. Around 2030, after nearly a century as the preeminent global economic power, the United States will be surpassed by China as the world’s largest economy.

2030: A World Transformed, with America at the Center by Daniel Twining posits that the USA has a lot of strengths that will allow it to prosper in the future. If you felt the USA was an absolute loser in the global future, Mr. Twining alleviates that a bit when he summarizes:

“Finally, raw calculations of relative economic power mislead analysts to believe that the ascent of emerging powers is necessarily a zero-sum loss for the West. In fact, the entrance of billions of new consumers into the world economy has enormously benefited the United States and Europe – through cheaper imports, growing markets for trade and investment, and a greater stake for aspiring economies in sustaining an open international economy.” – Daniel Twining

Main Two Links for the Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds report overview and blog post series.

The official statement from the agency: The National Intelligence Council (NIC) is a U.S. Government entity, operating as part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The NIC is sponsoring this GT2030.com website to provide a forum where guest bloggers can discuss selected topics to be raised in the NIC’s upcoming Global Trends 2030 (GT2030) publication. These guest bloggers – government officials; NIC IC Associates; academicians; or experts from independent think tanks or other consultancies – will author and run this blog through September 2012. The report was released at the end of December.

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